Ole Miss Basketball: Rebels hoops extend win streak at South Carolina

Coach Kermit Davis and Ole Miss basketball have been on a roll and were looking to extend their win streak to four games at South Carolina.

To say Ole Miss basketball is on a roll is really an understatement. The Rebels (12-8, 7-6) entered the game at Columbia, South Carolina on a three-game win streak. The Rebels also entered the game as one of the hottest playing teams in the SEC. However, it didn’t happen overnight. Yes, the Rebels already had a great defense but needed to find an offense to consistently win games.

Coach Kermit Davis and the Rebels found it four games ago. The Rebels first had a huge win over Tennessee and then a blowout win against Missouri. Both teams were ranked No.10 in the nation at the time. There was also an overtime win in between at Auburn. The Rebels wanted to extend the three-game win streak and did it on the road at South Carolina (5-8, 3-7) with a good 81-74 win. OHT looks at the latest Rebels win by the numbers.

By The Numbers

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This was a well-deserved win for Ole Miss basketball. The Rebels controlled the game early with a tough defense and led 36-28 at the break. In the second half, the Rebels maintained control with great shooting. However, the Gamecocks made a game of it late outscoring the Rebels 46-45 in the second half. Still, it wasn’t enough to keep the Rebels from winning the game.

As a team, the Rebels shot 22 of 44 or 50.0% from the field while South Carolina shot 23 of 57 or 40.4% from inside the arc. From beyond the arc, the Rebels shot 3 of 10 or 30.0% while South Carolina shot slightly better making 6 of 18 or 33.3% from three-point range. The Rebels were 34 of 44 or 77.3% from the free-throw line and the Gamecocks shot 22 of 29 or 75.9% from the charity stripe.

The Rebels had 30 rebounds while the Gamecocks had 31. The Rebels scored 11 second-chance points on 7 offensive boards. The Gamecocks scored just 8 second-chance shots on 11 offensive rebounds. Ole Miss committed 20 turnovers while the Gamecocks had 19 giveaways.

The Rebels scored 19 points off turnovers while South Carolina scored 21 points off turnovers. Ole Miss scored 22 points in the paint while the Gamecocks scored 22 points in the paint. The Rebels had 17 points from the bench while the Gamecocks had 30 bench points.

Devontae Shuler had a huge game leading all scorers with a career-high 31 points. Shuler also had 2 blocked shots, 2 steals, 4 assists, and 7 boards. Romello White followed with 14 points, 1 assist, and 5 rebounds. KJ Buffen was the next player scoring in double-digits with 12 points off the bench. Buffen also had 1 steal, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Robert Allen was next up with 7 points and 3 rebounds. Jarkel Joiner and Luis Rodriguez each had 6 points. Joiner added 3 steals, 1 assist, and 4 rebounds while Rodriguez had 3 steals, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds. Sammy Hunter added 3 points with 1 assist and 1 rebound. Austin Crowley had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Matthew Murrell added 2 steals, 1 assist, and 1 rebound.

This was a solid road win for the Rebels and a career night for Devontae Shuler. According to OleMissSports.com,

"“It means a lot. I’ve never had a win here. I just locked in because I knew this was my last game here and for my team and family in the stands. I did what I did to make them happy.” ~Devontae Shuler"

It was also a huge win for coach Kermit Davis and a confidence builder for a team that has shown a lot of improvement over the past four games. According to OleMissSports.com,

"“Anytime you can win on the road in this league, it’s great. Our team showed a lot of poise. Really proud of our team.” ~Coach Kermit Davis"

With just five regular-season games left before the SEC Tourney, every game is important. The next five games don’t get any easier but the Rebels will play three of the five at home in Oxford.

Up next for the Rebels are the LSU Tigers. Tipoff from The Pavilion in Oxford is set for 8:00 pm CT and the game can be seen on ESPNU. Good luck to coach Kermit Davis and the Rebels. As always, stay safe and Hotty Toddy!